The Imperfections We Weave
by TheDeadButterfly
Summary: After Chihiro leaves, Haku's sanity dwindles. When a VERY strange spirit uses that against him and tries to steal his soul, Chihiro literally falls back into the Spirit World. Once there, she immediately has to face some heartbreaking facts that just migh
1. Aching Heart and Bloody Knuckles

**Disclaimer: I own no one.**

_**Summary: After Chihiro leaves, Haku's sanity dwindles. But when a VERY strange and dark spirit uses that against him and tries to steal his soul, Chihiro practically falls back into the Spirit World. Once there, she immediately has to face some heartbreaking facts that might just tear the two apart. May Change**_

**Notes: Yes, this is my first Spirited Away fic and I have NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING! If you like, give me props. If you don't, just shut up and leave. At least tell me if Haku is in character. Oh, and this takes place RIGHT after the ending of the movie. Rewritten Chapter One:**

**The Imperfections We Weave**

_Chapter 1-Aching Heart and Bloody Knuckles_

The dust had caked to my feet. They ached, as did all of my worn body, yet most of all my abused heart. None of this could have possible compared to the restlessness, though. I was restless and torturously doubtful.

Fate had been decidedly cruel to me, and I had to watch her go. I told her not to look back, I demanded her not to. But, oh, how I had hoped she would so that I could run to her and entirely envelope her in and with everything I am. To my dismay, she obeyed me better than any other person.

My feet touched the welcome coolness of the crimson-painted bridge, and I realized how long Id been walking. I also noticed for the first time the creaks and splintering that had begun, and was reminded of myself. Ragged and piteous in some strange way. I stretched out my arm to lightly drag my fingernails across the surface of the wooden railing, and listened to the unusual scraping sound I was so enthralled with.

"Gah..!" I quickly withdrew my hand to examine the shard of wood now wedged under the skin and the blood slowly collecting atop the wound. I made no move to dislodge it, it would eventually come out itself; surprising how the most harmless of things could lash out.

I made my way into the Aburaya, unable to bury the feeling of dread burning in my stomach.

"..._Sen_...," Someone whisper under there breath, and I felt the world spiral and my vision darken. I was so close to being sick.

_Somewhere, a voice calls,_

_In the depths of my heart._

_May I always be dreaming,_

_Those dreams that move my heart._

I practically floated, in a deep meditative trance, to the top floor and Yubaba's desk.

"Yes..?" Her unattractive voice rasped after she finally looked up from her writing.

"I am no longer yours to own," I spat at her calmly.

"My dear Haku-"

"My name is _Kohaku_," I corrected her venomously.

"_Kohaku_...so you have your name," The old witch trailed off, and I jeered at her semi-triumphantly. "It doesn't mean your contract is void, so wipe that look off your face. It simply states that you have the means to defend yourself now.

Yubaba looked down to write again. "Not that it will do you much good," She added as a seeming afterthought. Now it was becoming hard to keep my temper.

"You **WILL** free me!" I roared, slamming my clenched fists down on her messy desk.

"You **WILL** not speak to me in that tone," She fumed in mock anger. I, unfortunately, knew her well enough to know she wasn't fuming at all, simply trying to be loud and intimidating.

"_You_ are a heartless, lying, **witch**! Despicable wench! Contemptible braggart! Loathsome **_harlot_**!" I bellowed (A/N: Yes, I did have fun with this paragraph.), scattering her many papers and effects everywhere and still screaming at her, trying to evoke her wrath. If I couldn't have my life back, then maybe she would have mercy and behead me right here and now.

"Shut your mouth, you ungrateful child!" Finally, she had lost her temper. Her hair flew furiously as she glided to my side, much too quick for a person her age and size. The sting of her sharp nails biting into the flesh of my jaw I didn't feel until seconds after the strike because of its abruptness.

"Where the _hell_ do you think you would go? You have no home! You have no_ one_," She hissed spitefully through yellow, gritted teeth. I could already feel the prodding of tears forming behind my eyes, but I forced my untimely emotions down. The day I let that hag see me snivel would not be today.

I slapped her aged hand away out of reflex. The chilling sensation of blood dripping down my face sent shivers up and down my spine. I shot Yubaba a vicious look and stormed out.

As I slammed the door, I heard her cackles following me out and I knew they would haunt me. For I realized she knew she had won, at least this once.

_So many tears, of sadness,_

_Uncountable through and through._

_I know on the other side of them,_

_I'll find you._

How long had it been? Truly years and years since I had actually shed a single tear. Yet here I lay, sobbing into my own arms, a twisted mess.

I reached up to brush away wet bangs that had matted to my face and instead grazed the mildly deep puncture wounds of Yubaba's fingernails. I let myself scream in pain and frustration, I urged myself to. Soon, I was shrieking like a raving lunatic.

I was actually going to let my dearest Chihiro down, abandon her! I punched the walls and clawed at my skull, trying to get the taunting thoughts to stop.

And soon they did, faded away and dimmed within the shadows. The scratches from before were now bleeding, as were my knuckles. There was a hole in the wall and clods of tangled hair strewn all around the room, shining emerald in the pale moonlight.

I would find a way. To do what, I can't say. But I would find a way, or at least tear myself apart in the process.

_Every time we fall to the ground,_

_We look up to the blue sky above._

_We wake to its blueness,_

_As for the first time._

And Yubaba's cocky mirth rang from deep within me, as I stared out the window in a somber reverence, and shook my fragile soul.

_Scene_

Notes: That's the end of chapter one, review and tell me how I'm doing so far.


	2. Bloody Insanity

Notes: Standard Disclaimers Apply. And sorry for the long wait, would've been up earlier but I got banned for writing a _songfic._ Yeah…

**The Imperfections We Weave**

_Chapter 2-Bloody Insanity_

One of the things I enjoyed most in life: the stars. When you look at them, it's like they're looking back. You get the sense that you're not alone, that you're protected from all ailments. And you just know that there _has_ to be something more than...

..._this._

My room had become weighted with the ever-infectuous sorrow that also filled me. And throughout my entire life, I don't think I'd ever felt so _full_. My back tingled as a tremor ran through me.

_'It was never meant to be...'_

I gave a pitiful noise as another wave of emptiness flooded me. It felt as though my stomach was steadily shrinking away into a tiny knot, and I felt myself getting sick again. I hurried over and slid open the door then leaned over the railing of the balcony and emptied the contents of my stomach.

I was miserable.

I swiped clingy strands of sweaty hair from my face and looked up at the pale sky. Judging by the lighting, it was only about three or four in the morning. The birds had begun to chirp and twitter some time before, though. The cool, fresh air had never been so welcoming... and, at the time, it seemed like a good idea to get away from all the silence and depression of my room.

I climbed down the many flights of stairs, which was quite difficult because I was unable to rid myself of the haziness in my vision. But eventually I reached the baths. I heard the thumping of feet even before I entered the dark room. It didn't surprise me much, though; there was almost always some type of spirit scrounging about for dropped valuables.

Suddenly I felt a very familiar primal urge. I wanted to hurt. Make hurt and be hurt. And I had already begun to pity the poor soul that was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I hid in the shadows, simply... watching this person, the slug spirit. I could feel the moonlight glinting off my trained eyes, but never once did I think this through. Never once did I stop and think of the consequences.

Just gave in.

_'...Just give up...'_

Anger surged through my whole body, I hated being this weak. This _helpless_. Before I could stop myself, I pounced on the girl, much like a cat. She gave a startled shriek and thrashed for a few seconds, but she was nowhere near as strong as me.

"_Stop it_," I hissed. Apparently she recognized the voice, because she stopped squirming and gave an enamored sigh.

"Oh, Haku, I knew that I'd be the one you chose!" The slug spirit whispered excitedly.

_'I hate it-'_

"I hate it," I mumbled lowly, lacing my fingers around her pale neck.

"What-?" She asked densely. Temperamental _and_ stupid.

"I hate it," I growled, squeezing. "I hate it, _I hate it, **I hate it, I**_..."

I released her neck, which already had yellowy-purple bruises forming, and grabbed handfuls of hair. Bang.

"**_HATE..._**" ** Bang.**

"**_YOU..._**" _ **BANG.**_

Rip.

Brown strands of hair were made even darker by the blood that held it to my hands. She had stopped screaming, even if she wanted to, I don't think she could scream. Partially because of all the blood and partially because she was dead.

I brushed emerald hair out of my face with bloody hands, leaving evidence of our encounter there.

I left the spirit's mangled body on the ground, and made my way back to my room. I felt no guilt or fear, only satisfaction. And when I reached my room, for the first time in quite a while, I slept.

_'Am I insane?'_


	3. Losing Grip, Losing Friends

I guess Haku's doing it because Chihiro was really the only thing he had, besides the Yuna (blech). Maybe he knew he'd never be able to see her again. And if you've ever been in the same room for a long period of time, you start to want to leave and 'stretch your legs'(maybe even go a little bit insane). I guess that's how he feels. (Shrugs) AND WHY CAN I NOT PUT LINES BETWEEN THE SCENES! AARRGH!

**The Imperfections We Weave**

_Chapter 3-Losing grip, Losing friends_

I awoke to a vile smell that made my sensitive nose tingle, and a very strange, flaky substance that stuck to my hands.

Those thoughts subsided quickly enough when a sharp ache stung my neck and back. Why was I sleeping on the floor?

I groaned as I sat up, cracked my neck then rubbed it roughly. The flaky stuff on my hands tickled my neck and I brought my hands up to my face to look at it. It smelled horrible. Like...

"...Blood...," I mumbled, suddenly wide awake. What the HELL did I do last night!

_'You're a fool.' _The darker part of me stated, letting loose an evil-sounding chuckle.

I'm not.

_'You're a fool.' _It echoed.

**I'm not.**

Why are you such a fool?

"I'm not," I whispered.

Scene

The Susuwatari busied themselves around me, seemingly ignoring my presence. I lifted my bare foot and lightly set it down on one of the tiny soot-creatures that was going back for another chunk of coal. It made a 'poof' noise, then regenerated after I moved my foot.

Kamajii seemed to be keeping his distance today.

"Boiler Ma-"

"_Damn it, _Haku!" The forcefulness in the spirit's gruff, grandfather-like voice startled me.

"…" I stared at him in confusion.

"You're a fool." My eyes narrowed, and my head lowered. "_Every_one heard the screaming last night."

"Hmm?" I wondered aloud lazily, not even bothering to lift my head and look at him. "Should have stayed out of my way."

I stood, and began walking towards the door that led to the steep, rotting stairs.

"Haku-," Kamajii pleaded sternly, only to be interrupted.

"You should stay out of my way, too, Boiler Man," I warned threateningly.

Scene

'_Yubaba wants you, Haku-sama; Yubaba wants you, Haku-sama; **Yubaba wants you, Haku-sama; YUBABA WANTS YOU, HAKU-SAMA!**'_

"**GOD DAMN IT!**" I slammed a fist into the wall of the hall (A/N: Catchy isn't it? .).

"Yubaba always wants me..," I mumbled under my breath crossly, proceeding to walk into the old hag's office. "What the _hell_ do you want now?"

"Is that any way to speak to _me_?" The bath crone replied comically, not altering her gaze from her paperwork.

"With the way I'm feeling right now, it's the way I'd speak to anyone," I answered.

Finally she looked up.

"Oh… my goodness," She remarked, eyes wide and a horrifying look coming across her aged face. "What the _hell_ happened to you?"

I simply chortled darkly and turned away from her gaze. "You…," I grumbled. "You and Sen."

"Well, anyways, you can't go around killing people for the hell of it, Haku." Yubaba declared, quickly brushing off the former conversation. "I can't keep losing my workers. How else would I get my money! If you keep murdering people, I'm going to have to prohibit you from living in the Aburaya."

"Such would be a blessing," I commented, pinching the bridge of my nose to get rid of the oncoming headache.

"Smartass," The witch observed. "Just don't kill anyone."

"Trust me; I'm going to kill whomever I like."

Scene

"You must really miss her, huh?" Rin's question was more of a statement. I hesitated for a moment; I didn't know what to say.

To concede to my desire to have Chihiro's healing presence near or deny it.

"..Yes," I said after quite some time.

"I heard about that Yuna," Rin laughed. "She had it coming. They all do."

She laughed lightly again and looked up at me. My face remained straight and dreary.

Her worry showed in the crease of her eyebrows.

"Haku-sama, what's wrong?" She asked gently.

"_Don't_… call me that. It's Kohaku," I replied harshly. I sighed.

She sighed.

"You're an ass, ya know that?" She said jokingly, getting up and walking away.

"Yeah..," I whispered after her.

"We'll talk about this later, Kohaku. I have more important stuff to do than listening to _you_ whine," I heard the grin in her voice.

And I smiled.

Scene

NO they aren't going to hook up! I'd say there's _maybe_ two chapters left of this story. (shrugs) Maybe if I had more of the things I like to call REVIEWS! Just kidding. . Chants in a singsong voice: Haku's going insane! Haku's going insane!


	4. Kuro's Solution

Remember people: _This whole story is just a WHAT-IF situation!_ D And I own no one except Kuro in this chapter.

**The Imperfections We Weave**

_Chapter 4-Kuro's Solution_

"LOOK!" Cried one of the Aogaeru, pointing a green, webbed finger towards a running figure. "It's a human girl!"

"Ko...ku..!" Fragments of her desperate screams were swept away by the rushing wind. "-aku...!"

"What's she saying?" Whispered one of the Yuna to another.

We all stared at each other in confusion.

"-haku! _Kohaku!_" Did she just say my name?

"_Hey_," Said Rin, who had deftly found her way to my side through the ocean of spirits. "That looks like-!"

"_SEN!_" I yelled as loud as I could, finally realizing.

_Could it really be her? Could it be the only one that could save me from my plummet into this bottomless pit? The only one that understood. The only one that I had. The only one that never gave up on me. SEN! By the Gods-_

"-How I missed you..." I was already to her side, feeling her lean, fragile body pressed against mine. There was no way I would ever let her go again. The first time was only a mistake.

"Chihiro..," I whimpered, completely out of breath.

"Kohaku!" Her voice was thick and wavery with unshed tears. Her hands roamed everywhere, my shoulders, my hair, my back; as if she didn't believe I was actually real.

"How long has it been?" I asked her out of curiosity, for she had definitely...developed. I blushed brightly at that thought, though she probably didn't catch it.

"For you days, _maybe_ weeks; But for me... Kohaku, it's been nearly 7 years," She replied.

I pulled her away from me, and looked her up and down.

Her legs were long and lanky; she had the body of a woman now. Her hair had been cut at her shoulders, and was neat with a sheen to it. Her face had lost its chubbiness; her cheekbones aristocratic and sharp, highlighted by the glimmer of tears she was crying. But her eyes...her eyes were dead. She was pretty, but not the Chihiro I had known 7 years ago.

"Chihiro how...how did you find the portal? After you left, it was supposed to have disappeared," I explained. This was getting strange.

"I don't know. After I left the Spirit World, I kept searching for a way back in. I never gave up, and one day... I-It was just there..," She said, getting upset. "Why? Aren't you happy to see me? Why should it _matter_ how I got back?"

"Of course I'm happy to see you, Ch-," I tried to say.

"Or maybe it was all a lie, maybe you were using me!" She accused. She was going hysterical! "Maybe you're a lie!"

And she pushed me. And I fell and fell and fell and fell.

"I hate you, Kohaku-," She whispered to me."Kohaku!"

Until I could fall no longer.

"-Kohaku! **Kohaku!** Get your lazy ass up!" Rin's voice could be heard though my door.

Suddenly I was fully awake.

_It was all a dream?_

I rushed over to the door and swung it open for her. For a second, she looked at me strangely.

"Kohaku...have you been-," Apparently Rin thought it was better not to ask her question. "Nevermind."

"What did you want?" I asked tersely, trying to hide my face within my emerald tresses (A/N: I know, that's kind of girly. Get over it.).

"Yubaba wanted me to get you," She said, then continued in a whisper. "There's some weird guy in her office that wants to talk to you."

I looked at her in confusion, and then walked off in the direction of Yubaba's office.

_Scene_

The boy looked about 15, but I knew better.

His dark hair was long and wispy, and mostly shielded his eyes.

The strangest thing about the cloaked spirit. His eyes held no color in them; the irises were just as black as the pupil. Every time he looked at me, I felt chills run up and down my spine. And he didn't just look at me; it was like he was searching for something. Searing through my flesh and digging for my soul and what secrets lay in it.

"_Well_," Yubaba's grating voice shattered my thoughts. "Don't be rude, introduce yourself to our guest."

She smiled in a sickeningly sweet manner at the boy.

"Kohaku," I announced stiffly. I felt that he understood I took no pleasure in being in this room and why.

"_Kuro_," He purred in a saccharine tenor. "_May we go… else where?"_

"Of course!" Yubaba blurted out loudly, shooing us off.

Kuro rose and led me out of the room.

He slowed when we reached the bridge.

'_Kohaku…' _Kuro purred inside my head, savoring the way my name rolled off his tongue.

A telepath.

'_Get _out _of my head.'_ I demanded.

'_Why? It's harder for others to hear our conversation within _your_ thick skull.' _He taunted innocently.

'_I don't like it.'_

"_Fine_," He compromised. "_We can talk out in the open_."

"What do you want?" I asked, somehow keeping my calm.

He took his time, walking around behind me and examining me.

"_Your soul,"_ He whispered in my ear from behind.

I whipped around and pushed him off of me. He laughed lowly and gave a jagged, toothy grin.

"_That girl of yours-that _woman_ of yours,"_ He began slowly. "_I doubt she would want you anymore. Look at you!"_

'_Filthy beast…'_ He whispered darkly within my mind.

"_Look what you've become!"_ He continued. _"A filthy beast." _

He stopped and took a step back, seemingly to look at me. Then his ebony eyes met mine, and it was as if my gaze was frozen. I could look no where else but his eyes.

"_I've been watching you,"_ He said, almost sympathetically. Almost._"I know the nightmares that plague you, and I know what you dream about…"_

"No..NO! Stop it, you're wrong. _YOU'RE WRONG!_" I screamed, I could say nothing but that.

"_Am I, Kohaku?" _Karu purred. _"Prove it to me. **Prove it to me!**"_

Now it seemed like _he _was getting angry.

"_She wouldn't want you anyway…" _He repeated, his words quiet and his eyes going blank as he seemed to be taken in by a deep trance.

"_If you want it to end…"_ Karu stopped. _"If you want relief, I can give it to you. Just ask."_

He edged closer to me, so close his chest was nearly touching mine.

"_And if you want release, I can give you that too,"_ He murmured teasingly, his breath tickling my ear. With that, he walked off.

And I have to tell you, right now, his promise of relief was exceptionally tempting.

Buthis promise of release was just creepy.

_Scene_

Wow, that one I got done fast! Do notcomplain to me about my character Karu, I like him (his name means black, dark). I've decided to add a few more chapters. Actually, quite a few. (sigh) It's only more work. I'm going to change the summary, so you guys tell me if it's better or worse. Okay? Okay!


	5. A Decision Made

**You guys seriously have to give me reviews, if I don't know what you want me to do, then once I get a new chapter out some of you will complain that I didn't write about what you wanted me to. Ya know, if it weren't for you guys, Haku would have died in the last chapter and this one would be centered on Chihiro. Anyways, could I get at least one review on my Twitch story, pwease? Here's the fifth chapter, standard disclaimers apply.**

**The Imperfections We Weave**

_Chapter 5- A Decision Made_

"What was that about?" Rin asked. She had tracked me down as I was walking aimlessly through the halls. Well, not really aimlessly; to think.

"I really don't know," I said softly. It was a while before I spoke again.

"He, Karu, said he wanted my soul," I explained, then continued in a hushed whisper. "Rin, he knows about Chihiro."

She looked at me, her eyebrows knit together.

"How could he, unless he was watching the Aburaya throughout that whole 'incident'," She said reassuringly.

"He's a telepath."

"Well, that explains it," Rin looked at me suspiciously. "Are you sure there wasn't anything else? Some of the slug spirits were eavesdropping and said there was yelling..."

"No, nothing else," I replied, shaking my head.

I couldn't bring myself to tell her about Karu's offer.

_Scene_

"_Back again, I see_," Karu commented, a tiny smile playing on his pale lips.

"Don't look so smug," I demanded, then looked down and stared at the floor. "And you're in _my_ room, so it's you who's back."

Moments ticked by as I thought of what words I would say next, the feeling of his gaze on me hindering my thinking process.

"Why?" Karu looked at me strangely, and I answered his question before he had a chance to ask it.

"Why should I give you my soul, or…let you 'relieve' me, as you put it," I probed. What was the use of putting a sugar coating on the bitter truth?

He looked up at me, smiling his signature, shark-toothed grin.

"_For one, those horrible dreams of yours. The one you care for so dearly pushing you away, telling you how they hate you when all you want is to comfort them and on the inside they're-_"

"Stop!" I demanded. "I get it."

"_-dead,_" He finished in a mumble. "_What's the matter, dear Kohaku? Can't take it? Like I said…_"

I jeered at him in a combination of annoyance and disgust.

"_Secondly_," He continued, unfazed. "_You want to see her again, right? Be…happy?_"

My eyes widened at that. "..Yes.."

Karu's eyebrows quirked upwards and his dark eyes held laughter.

"_And lastly_," A smile graced his elegant face. "_You want me to go, don't you?_"

"I-…,"I stopped, read the question mark in his eyes. He genuinely wanted to know…

And so did I.

_Did_ I want Karu to leave? To end this game of cat and mouse that filled my days and gave them meaning? It was true, some part of me enjoyed it. I felt wanted. I felt needed. I felt important.

And I liked it.

But losing my soul, and just to get rid of him. Even if I did see Chihiro… This was all so confusing.

I tangled my hands in my hair and shut my eyes tightly.

'_Just take it, take it now. Take it away..!'_

I felt Karu's hand smoothing down my ruffled hair, and smelled the acetone in his freshly painted, black fingernails (A/N: he left the Spirit World and went to Wal-Mart to get it).

He sighed. "_Is that really what you want?_"

"I don't know what I want anymore," I retorted emotionlessly. How dare he explore my mind without my knowing! I hated him. _I hate him._

"_What a shame. I thought this would be so much more difficult_," He whined.

Karu stood.

"_Well… Do you accept?_" He asked.

"..Yes..," I answered without even thinking. His voice was cold and bitter, like something I'd said had made him angry.

He threw down a straight razor that he'd been keeping in his cloak-like jacket (which disturbed me greatly) and it slid across the wooden floor with a scraping noise.

"_Keep this with you. You might need it to… dull the pain throughout the soul transmuting process. Or at other times." _He shot another smug grin in my direction and left the room.

And somewhere, miles and miles away, a woman who was still a girl on the inside heard someone she cared for deeply cry out to her for help.

_Scene_

**How was it? Anybody out of character, any ideas, any mistakes? Give me reviews! I have an idea! Everybody put what they think is going to happen/should happen in their reviews!**

**And did anybody else cry at the last episode of Samurai Champloo?**


	6. Enter Chihiro

**Okay, the way I'm looking at it, if you remember when Chihiro and her family first get to the room with the bird bath there's a camera angle where you can see behind them. There's these three dark halls, one of which the Ogino's came out of. So, I'm going on the assumption that (for Chihiro at least) there are three different entrances, and once she leaves that certain one, it disappears forever. All she has to do is find them, though.**

**The Imperfections We Weave**

_Chapter 6-Enter Chihiro_

"Hey...?" Mizuko sounded upset. "What's the matter?"

"Hmm?" I asked, slowly returning to reality from a daydream. "What do you mean, Mizuko?"

"Chihiro, you're crying... Didn't you notice?" The hyper girl explained.

"Oh!" I brought my hand up to my face and felt the wetness running down my cheeks, then scrubbed it away with my sleeve. "I didn't know."

"Sometimes I worry about you, girl," She added, resuming her jumping around in a sugar-high frenzy, and I smiled at her reassuringly.

Mizuko wasn't anything like her name implied. She wasn't near beautiful; she was pretty in a homely, comfortable way. With shoulder-length, flippy brown hair and bright, brown eyes that always shone, no matter what. She wasn't tall, but she wasn't short; sort of in between. She was 'good enough' for a girl her age. Just right, no more, no less. And she didn't in _any_ way resemble the moon. She had no elegance about her, and she definitely wasn't calm and serene.

No, she didn't resemble the moon.

_'At least... not like he did, right?'_

"Oh, shut up!" I told myself quietly.

"Chihiro, are you talking to yourself again?" Mizuko asked curiously.

"Yeah.. I guess so, Mizuko," I replied to her with a sigh.

"Wow... Why don't I drive you home so you can get some sleep?" She offered. She had just turned sixteen, and was desperate to show off her new permit.

"I think I'll walk, but, if you want, you can drive beside me," I joked.

"Hey!" She screamed at me while I laughed non-stop. "Not funny, Chihiro!

After a few minutes of laughing I said,"Anyways, I'll call you tomorrow. I'm going, have fun doing... whatever you're doing."

I left the Kazoku family's yard and started down the dirt road. The house I lived in with my mom, _the blue one on the end_, was only a few houses and a hill away from Mizuko's.

I say 'with my mom' because, when I turned 12, Dad left. He said he found some young girl who didn't nag him like mother did and actually put out. She cried and cried for days, and I begged and begged for Kohaku to come and whisk me away. But, in the end, he never came, and I stayed and comforted my mother. I'm not sure if I could have left her behind in her condition anyways.

I had passed the Hideki's pure white house at the end of the dirt road, then turned around their Azalea bushes and began my long trek up the hill. At least it was good exercise.

Walking home was also an excuse to look at that path through the forest that led to...

"Stop it. You're only going to hurt yourself," I whispered to myself under my breath, then added a sigh.

'_And I don't want to hurt anymore.'_

_Scene_

After I left the Spirit World, I put on this mask that hid all the sorrow and wistfulness. I went out and made all the friends I could, so I would never be alone. So I could fill up the emptiness.

I actually think the last five years would have been a lot less painful if I had forgotten all about my pig-turned parents and stayed with Kohaku. But, if I think about it, it was all worth it. If I hadn't saved them, I wouldn't have a wonderful mother like mine to whom I was the world, or a wonderful friend like Mizuko who could always make you laugh and would always be there for you.

But I _would_ have Kohaku.

"_Will I ever see you again?"_

"_Of course."_

"_Promise?"_

"_I promise, Chihiro."_

Then again, he promised he would find me, and absence always makes the heart grow fonder.

My mind switched to another subject.

Why _was_ I crying? I remember feeling so…_sad_ all of a sudden. Kohaku and I had always been connected after the incident in the Spirit World, and I often felt feelings of anxiety or desperation.

'_What if… What if Kohaku's in trouble!'_

"Great… Now I'll never get to sleep," I mumbled under my breath, turning over in my bed.

_Scene_

It was somewhere around ten on a Sunday morning, and Mizuko had already woken me up and demanded that I come to her house.

But this time was different, she sounded panicked, but insisted it was nothing big. She was often alone, seeing as both her parents were usually away on some long business trip, and I _always_ worried about her.

I had already taken a quick shower, dried my long, brown hair and put it up in the purple ponytail holder I had received, and done all those other hygienic things. I wrote a garbled note for my mother, who was at the store, consisting of:

"Mizuko called.

Sounded upset.

Went to house.

Be back later.

-Chihiro"

And taped it up on the refrigerator, then headed out the door.

I jogged to her house, which took me around roughly 7 minutes, and knocked on the red door that was decorated with a wreath at all times of the year.

Right as my balled fist touched the door, it swung open. I had a mind to think she'd been waiting there impatiently the whole time.

"Finally! What took you so long?" Mizuko demanded.

"Well, you said it wasn't that important, so I took my time taking a shower and-," I wasn't even able to finish a sentence before the impatient girl interjected.

"It doesn't matter, just follow me. You're not gonna believe this, Chihiro," She said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me through her huge residence to where ever we were going.

She continued with her story. "Okay, this morning it was all raining and everything, right?"

I nodded in agreement, knowing I wouldn't get a word in edge-wise.

"So the lights went out (and I was all "Whoa! Oh my gosh!"), and I went to check the breaker and stuff. When I was going down the basement stairs, the lights came back on. I turned the corner and found-"

She opened the basement door and led me down the stairs.

"-this," She finished.

My mouth immediately dropped.

"Oh my gosh, Mizuko!"

In the middle of the cement basement floor was a _huge_ hole. It covered about a quarter of the room, but seemed bigger considering it was in the middle.

I inched over to it, afraid I might fall in because of something stupid like tripping over a shoelace.

"It's really deep," She commented.

"It's _really_ deep," I repeated.

A breeze seemed to be coming from the hole. It was warm and comforting in the Kazoku's frigid basement. And it seemed to be pulling at me gently. Crooning at me desperately to join it, where ever it was coming from. Just like that time…

And soon that croon turned into a howl, and the pulling turned into a push.

I don't know how it happened, but I soon felt a falling sensation. I could barely hear Mizuko screaming my name and my own shrieks over the rushing air. But I could hear one thing clearly.

'_Kohaku needs you,'_ Whispered the wind to me.

_Scene_

**That's chapter six, what do you think? Am I writing these way to fast, 'cause I think I am. I get up at around nine every morning and write a chapter in about two hours. Anyways, I need more feedback! **

**Chibi Amo: Yes, Karu scares me too. Sometimes, at night, he whispers _strange_ things in my ear. But, alas, he and Mizuko are both only two sides of my many-sided personality. And thanks for the 'in character' comment. I've always had trouble telling if someone's doing or saying something OOC.**


	7. Home

**Notes: Chapter One was rewritten. Standard disclaimers. Yeah. **

**The Imperfections We Weave**

_Chapter 7- Home_

"Ah-ooow," I groaned as I sat up slowly, grabbing my aching head that caused my vision to blur horribly. Every slight movement I made emitted a creaking sound from the thing that I was lying on.

The thing I had _landed_ on.

My ears met the sound of water hitting the earth, and my skin felt the intense mugginess of the place.

"Where am I?" I asked no one in particular, still rubbing my forehead. Finally, my vision cleared enough that I could see.

My lips parted, just barely, and I breathed out a tiny, maudlin gasp.

A familiar soft, subdued light filtered through the multi-colored panes of glass that decorated the round windows, filling the room with a dusky half-light. The floor was dusty and scattered with pebbles from the crumbling beams and dried up leaves. I was thrown over one of the numerous benches in the room.

And it was pouring outside.

_'How depressing,'_ I thought glumly, stretching my sore legs. _'My first day back and the sky is practically falling out.'_

I stood up gradually, wobbling a little bit, then began trudging towards the doorway that led outside. To the Spirit World. To...

I was afraid that the second I walked through the barrier, I would wake up and it would have all been a terrible nightmare. I would be left heartbroken, _once again_.

"But it feels real enough," I muttered to myself.

Minutes that felt like hours hung in midair as I tried to gather my courage.

_'It's now or never, Chihiro.' _I held my breath and closed my eyes tightly, and bolted through to the other side as fast as I could. All the while I chanted a mantra in my head of," _It's not a dream. I will make it through. It's not a dream! I will make it through!_"

I opened my eyes and stood there, staring out into the distance, the rain washing over me. But I didn't care. I was too happy to cry, or laugh, or even think anything.

_I was home!_

At first, I took a few unsure steps that turned into a jog, then a sprint. I ran through the ocean of grass that reached my waist and past the decorative buildings. I reached the unfinished river bed and slipped on a wet rock, hitting my head, but it didn't matter. I was home again, and I couldn't wait. I ran past the restaurants with the enticing smell of food that taunted my nose and stomach. I ran up so many stairs that I felt I couldn't run anymore. I ran, and I ran, and I ran.

The bridge stood before me, I had stopped running. I took my first few steps on it, cautiously as if it would crumble away beneath my feet at any moment. I couldn't stop myself from dropping to my knees, my face in my hands. And I cried. I sobbed and heaved so hard that I couldn't breath, the rain mixing with my tears on the bridge where my whole life began.

And I didn't care. It didn't matter. None of it mattered. Because it was real and I was home with Rin, and Kamajii, and all my other friends.

_"You shouldn't be here,"_ Resonated a rich voice through the thick rain and fog that I recognized instantly. A voice full of laughter and depth and complexity.

The tears stopped, as did time it seemed like. Slowly, inch by inch, my head drifted up of its own accord. If it were up to me, I would have already been in his arms, but my body denied me any such privilege so soon.

"You're…," I stared at him for the longest time. It didn't seem to matter to him, though; he seemed just as enthralled with my being there as I was with his. "You're…_real_."

"And you're…_here_," He responded.

"_Kohaku_," I let his name roll off my tongue. Immediately I felt the tears well up in my eyes once again. A silent stream of water joined the accumulating puddles, and I turned so that my hair shielded my face. "I thought that I'd never see you again."

I heard the sound of Kohaku's flimsy flip flops hitting the bridge, and waited. He tucked a thumb and forefinger underneath my chin and lifted my face so that he could tell me everything he had to say in one glance.

Those deep pools of olive-green that held so much emotion. So bright and full of life, so caring. Nothing in the world was as wonderful as his gaze, and nothing in the world could hold so much passion and meaning in one glance. Kohaku truly was wonderful.

"I'll never leave you again, Chihiro. Never," He told me and pulled me hurriedly into a hug. I sobbed silently into his comforting neck, soaking his already soaked clothes (A/N: What is the thing that Kohaku wears called?). I knew what he said was the truth; I felt it in his strong embrace and heard it in his thick voice. "I'll stay with you forever."

After a handful of minutes (after the tears had slowed), he grasped my shoulders firmly but gently and pulled me away from him. I could feel his eyes looking me up and down, inspecting and measuring me. A worried look came across his face.

"What happened?" He pondered aloud, reaching up and touching the small cut on my forehead.

"I slipped on a rock in the river bed..," I explained quietly, shying away from his touch. He grabbed my hand instead and helped me up.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay out here much longer," He fussed at me, leading me inside the Aburaya.

As we neared the end of the bridge, I could have sworn I saw a dark figure standing in Yubaba's window. A creepy, evil looking guy that stared me down with a mischievous smirk on his face.

"Who-?" I stopped myself, and could sense that Kohaku was listening. What if it was just my imagination? I would feel like such an idiot if I asked who the person was, and there was no one there. "Nevermind."

"Are you sure?" He asked in response.

"Yes," I said, all of a sudden sounding very small and subdued.

We were in the bathhouse, and I could feel everyone's eyes boring through me. To say the least, I was nervous.

But that didn't last long.

"**SEN!**" I heard Rin scream at the top of her lungs, and immediately the room erupted in curious whispers.

"Rin!" I screamed back, forcing myself loose from Kohaku's grasp and running into her open arms. She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back.

"Wow, how long has it been? Look at you! You've grown," She dawdled on. "Quite a bump you've got there."

"Yeah, I slipped in the river bed and hit my head," I justified the knot's cause quickly. "It's been around five years in the human world. How long has it been here?"

"Really, that long? It's only been a couple of weeks here," She said, astonished. Then she sobered up. "You have to go see Yubaba!"

She hooked her right arm through my left and dragged me over to Kohaku, who entwined his left arm with my right. A blush crept onto my face; I felt like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.

We reached Yubaba's office after climbing _thousands_ of stairs, and burst into the room.

The witch jumped and looked up from the person she was talking to in surprise.

"_You_! What are you doing back here? Seem to have a knack at finding trouble, don't you, little girl?" She hissed condescendingly.

But I hadn't heard any of this; I was too preoccupied with her guest.

"I-It's _you_! You're the guy I saw in the window from the bridge!" I said loudly, pointing at him.

I suddenly felt the tenseness of the room, and saw Kohaku slightly step between me and the strange person sitting in the arm chair. I couldn't help but give a tiny smile; it was cute how he tried to protect me.

"Yes," Interrupted Yubaba. "Karu alerted me of your arrival."

I gave her a look that clearly said, '_I didn't ask you anything_.'

"Karu…?" I questioned. Kohaku was nudging me in the side ever so softly; something was definitely wrong, I could feel it.

"_Hmm, yes, my name_," He purred, rising from the chair he was once sitting in. "_I think that it would be a good idea if I left… Don't you, Kohaku?_"

I looked down to see Kohaku's fist clenched. It was a tiny, almost inaudible, sound, but I could swear I heard a growl resonating from him.

Karu exited the room swiftly, and it remained deathly quiet.

"What's going on?" I asked, near panicking, looking around frantically.

Rin's gaze caught mine and her eyes averted to the door.

'_There's something you should know_," She mouthed to me. I nodded and continued on as normal.

_Scene_

**Finally! Took me longer to write that one for some reason. How was it? Good? Bad? Should I do this Chapter in Haku's view next time, or just a continuation of this chapter?Review! Review now! (Places cookie on 'Go!' button) Please?**


	8. Who Can Keep A Secret?

**Standard Disclaimer Here.**

**I'm not even going to try to estimate how many chapters are left. But one thing's for certain, there's gonna be a pretty big fight towards the end. Chihiro gets po- Oh well, you guys'll find out later! n.n**

**The Imperfections We Weave**

_Chapter 8-Who Can Keep A Secret?_

Just like Karu had said, Chihiro was there.

Kneeling with her face in her hands, _crying_. Something deep within me hurt at that moment; whether it was seeing her there like that or the knowledge of what I'd done.

But it wasn't my fault, though! I honestly thought that I'd never see her again.

I didn't know what to say, but I had to stop her crying. So I said the first thing that came to mind, the first thing that I had ever said to her.

"You shouldn't be here," My words were swept up by the raging rain and wind and carried over to her.

She tensed and her head slowly inched upwards.

"You're...," She stopped and stared at me. "You're..._real_..."

Her words were like a blow to the stomach. How long had she suffered, during the day and at night as she dreamed? I hurt both of us very badly.

_'It was your fault.' _

"And you're…_here_," Was the only thing I could think to blurt out.

"_Kohaku_." The way Chihiro said the word made it sound like more of an endearment than my name. She turned away from my gaze, her almost waist length, shiny brown hair shading her entire face. I knew what was coming; I saw the tears that slid down her colored cheeks, even as she tried to hide them.

"I thought that I'd never see you again," She whispered meekly.

I couldn't stand to be away from her any longer. Even if the tears were of happiness, all the pain and heartache inbetween…

I reached out to her, grabbing her chin with my thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look at me. I had so much to say to her, so many words that I had lost and couldn't find when the moment came.

I faltered, but trusted my soul to say all the right things through my eyes.

"I'll never leave you again, Chihiro. Never," I promised, rushing into a hug. She sobbed into my neck and shoulder awkwardly as I rubbed her back incessantly.

"I'll stay with you forever," I said again, trying to calm her.

It took quite some time, but the heaves and sobs slowed and I pulled her away from me gently.

She still had the purple rubber band that Zeniba (A/N: Hope I spelled that right.) and No-Face had made for her, I saw. She wasn't anything like in my dream, a totally different person. Her face still had some of the chubbiness from when she was younger, and her cheeks were the palest of pinks. She was small in stature, maybe a little more than five feet. It seemed at least half of her height came from her long legs. She was curvy; not _too_ curvy, but not so little that she looked like a box.

And her eyes held the essence of life, held the very embodiment of her happiness.

I felt my eyebrows come together as her long bangs moved enough that I could see her forehead.

"What happened?" I asked her, reaching up to touch a small gash on her forehead.

'_Stupid, Kohaku, stupid!' _

She shied away from my touch, and I reprimanded myself for even trying. No one likes to get a fresh wound fingered.

"I slipped on a rock in the river bed…," Chihiro said quietly.

I looked down at her lips, and found they were a light, icy blue in color. I had momentarily forgotten that she was only human.

I grabbed her clammy hand and lifted her up. "You'll catch a cold if you stay out here much longer."

I walked her towards the entrance of the Aburaya, but felt a falter in her step.

"Who-?" She stopped in mid-sentence.

_Damnit._

She had seen that _thing_.

"Nevermind," She decided quickly.

If there was one thing I'd do, it would be protecting her from that creature's darkness. The disease of his words and the sick feeling of his wicked mind fusing with yours.

"Are you sure?" I asked gravely.

"Yes…" She said in a hushed voice. I could sense her nervousness, which grew when all eyes were on her within the bath house.

But the silence didn't last long as Rin rounded the corner.

"**SEN!**" She blared. I looked around, shooting glares that promised death at random people, as the room exploded with noisy whispers.

"Rin!" Chihiro yelled back, though not as stridently. She was probably tired from before.

I listened into their conversation:

Rin's hands went to Chihiro's shoulders after releasing her from a hug.

"Wow, how long has it been? Look at you! You've grown so much," She blurted. "Quite a bump you've got there."

"Yeah, I sort of slipped in the river bed and hit my head," She explained. "It's been around five years in the human world. How long has it been here?"

Not even five years yet. Not _too_ bad. I, myself, had a fourteen year old body that I could change to any age if I wished.

"Really, that long? It's only been a couple of weeks here," Rin commented.

She regarded me over Chihiro's shoulder, and I gave her a 'hurry up' look.

She sobered quickly and said, "You have to go see Yubaba!"

I saw Rin hook her right arm through Chihiro's left, and walked over to me. I took the hint I was supposed to do the same with her other arm. We undoubtedly looked stupid; maybe it was a human thing.

We burst into Yubaba's office after climbing exactly 259 stairs. I know because I counted every miserable step.

The witch looked up in surprise.

Looked up from _Karu_. I didn't see why he was still there.

"_You_! What are you doing back here? Seems you have a knack at finding trouble, don't you, little girl?" She hissed bitterly.

"I-It's _you_!" Chihiro pointed at Karu. "You're the guy I saw in the window from the bridge!"

'_So this is your little flower, Kohaku? Pretty one, isn't she? Wouldn't it be a shame if…'_

'You won't touch her, Karu,' I countered ferociously, stepping between the two, only slightly so that Chihiro wouldn't notice.

We were interrupted by Yubaba's grating voice: "Yes. Karu alerted us of your arrival."

Chihiro turned to her and gave her a vicious look. I couldn't help but laugh on the inside as Yubaba shrank in her seat.

'_She has power, Kohaku. Will you exploit it before she exploits you?' _Karu attracted my attention again.

'Chihiro would never do that! She's better than that. _She's better than you will ever be_!'

"Karu…?" Chihiro questioned out of curiosity. I was scooting closer and closer to her, only succeeding in alerting her to the edginess of the room.

'_We'll see. What happened to her forehead? Did you do that, Kohaku? Hurting people again, are we?'_

'No. You're wrong.'

"_Hmm, yes, my name_," He purred out loud blandly and rose from the armchair he was sitting in. "_I think that it would be a good idea if I left…Don't you, Kohaku?_"

Damned mocking _bastard_!

I felt fingernails digging into my palms and realized that they were my own. A mild growl could barely be heard resonating from deep within me.

I was about ready to rip Karu's throat out when he left the room quickly; was it just me or did he seem afraid?

It was deathly quiet then. Worse than deathly.

"What's going on?" Chihiro panicked, head swiveling everywhere.

"Nothing," I whispered, but didn't think she heard me, or anyone for that matter.

'_Wouldn't it be horrible if she found out, Kohaku!' _Crowed Karu mischievously within my mind.

_Scene_

**End of Chapter Eight. Yep, that was fun. Chapter Nine'll be around soon. Review now.**


	9. Echo In The Emptiness

**Sorry it took longer than usual, I was sorta sick. My head was stuffy and my stomach was shot to hell. Sucks for me, right? .**

**The Imperfections We Weave**

_Chapter 9-Echo In The Emptiness_

"Sen..."

"It's...Chihiro," I rectified mildly.

Rin took the time to look at me sympathetically. "Chihiro...After you left, Kohaku sort of started to go off his rocker."

The incoherence of shock had worn off, and I suddenly felt my eyes getting steadily wider.

"Then that guy, Karu, showed up. He promised Kohaku that he'd see you again, but..."

She looked down and it seemed for a minute as if she was going to tear up and burst into waterworks, which wasn't exactly normal for her.

"But what!" I asked furiously, fearing the worst.

"It's just like the bath house all over again, except it's not Yubaba this time! Kohaku sold his soul to be with you, Chihiro!" She whispered loudly.

"W-What?" I almost screamed, but was careful not to because Kohaku and Yubaba were in the next room chatting about my accommodations.

"Yeah...Karu told Kohaku that if he had his soul, he could bring you back to the Spirit World. But _only_ if he had the soul."

"The...hole...in Mizuko's basement!" I said, overwhelmed. "It was...Karu...? He's that powerful?"

Rin's eyes lowered to the floor again.

"He's got Yubaba wrapped around his damn pinky finger, and everyone else in the Aburaya cowers in fear when he enters the room," She confirmed.

"It gets wor-" She continued, but hurriedly leaned back when footsteps could be heard. Kohaku peered through a crack in the door to where we were sitting against the marble wall.

"Chihiro, you're to sleep in my room tonight," He stated, sounding and looking embarrassed, then retreated back into Yubaba's office.

"It gets worse," Rin repeated herself, getting up jauntily and brushing herself off. "He murdered a Yuna and threatened Kamajii's life."

I covered my face with my hand, suddenly feeling faint.

"Rin...I'm not feeling so good," I told her after composing myself with much difficulty.

"I'm sure Kohaku's feeling a lot worse," She said.

_Scene_

It wasn't until I entered the room did it actually hit me that I would be sleeping there.

The walls were decorated with gashes that were scattered variously, and a generously sized patch placed over a supposedly generously sized hole. I didn't want to ponder on it too much; it would bring images to my mind that would keep me from sleeping for nights and nights.

Over in a far corner was a sizable, antique looking closet that Kohaku looked as if he were nearly drowning in. Finally, he pulled out a bed roll from under a pile of clothes. Most of them were women's... Another thought I'd have to come to terms with sooner or later.

He turned on his heel and laid it out practically _on top_ of his. I wasn't about to complain, though.

"Come here, we have to get you out of those clothes-" Kohaku began.

He reached for me and, even if it was involuntary, I dodged his advance.

That must have been a very painful blow to him; I saw his face drop.

"How much did Rin tell you?" He asked, almost out of reflex it seemed.

I wondered how he figured it out so quickly, then realized this must have been something he had to deal with every single day. My eyes lowered; I couldn't stand to see the pain in his once beautiful eyes a second longer.

"All there is to tell, I suppose," I answered obediently.

He reached for me again, slowly this time, as if he were testing whether or not I would turn him away again. I let him grab hold of my upper arm and pull me against his moderately muscular chest.

"You know that I would never hurt you, right?" Kohaku inquired.

I looked up at him. His eyes were like the glassy surface of a placid lake, emotionless and guarded. I knew he would never hurt me, I had always known that.

"I know," I enlightened him.

The feel of his body against mine was nothing short of invigorating as he stroked my side gently, and I relaxed against him easily. I was besot with his oceanic smell. It made my nose tingle as I breathed it in and made my insides squirm as I breathed out.

After what seemed to me like forever, he separated me from him and gave me a playful shove in the direction of the wardrobe closet.

"As I was saying, you should change into something cleaner and dryer," He nagged like a worrisome mother.

I opened the closet doors a tad wider and squealed with delight.

"Oooh, where did you get them?" I yipped excitedly, and Kohaku laughed wholeheartedly at me.

"Leftovers," He explained. "From my last wives."

My thought process stopped, along with my breathing I think.

Then he laughed even harder, and I could breathe again.

I stomped over to him, one of the expensive-looking dresses still in hand, and gave him a firm slap on the arm.

"If I could hurt you, I would Kohaku!"

I jumped on him like a cat and tickled like my life depended on it. The only thing he could do to fight back was buck like an insane cow and grasp at his sides nonstop.

The whole room was filled with gasps for air and careless laughter.

But then he stopped laughing, which caught my attention. As did our position.

He was lying on his back, hands at my hips, and I was straddling his waist.

I felt the slight twitch his long, graceful fingers gave, and, seeing the look on his face, fought the urge to crack up again. It passed soon enough, and I let a lovelorn sigh, bending my body so that I could rest my forehead on his chest. This position wasn't exactly _uncomfortable_.

"I've missed you," I voiced my thoughts.

"I've missed you, too, Chihiro…" Kohaku echoed, pushing me up and off of him by my hips. "Clothes."

He nodded his head in the direction of the cabinet.

I shuffled over to it, and fumbled through the many outfits. Every single one was either sparkly or poofy or overly-extravagant in some way.

Except one, and it stood out among all the others.

It was a pale mauve in color, the mid-thigh length skirt an amethyst. It looked as if the body and skirt had been sewn together with a deep amber colored thread in the pattern of a root's growth. The material was cotton-like, very stretchy and adaptable (A/N: If you've ever played Haunting Ground, you'll probably know what I'm talking about).

I snatched it out of the closet greedily and shooed Kohaku out of the room.

This was going to be more fun that I originally thought!

_Scene_

I had awoken _hours_ ago.

_Something_ was out there crying, and sometimes even _screaming_. I was scared witless, even with Kohaku right beside me. I didn't know how he hadn't woken up. It wasn't just a scream, more like a shriek. It sounded simply _horrific_.

Finally, I gathered every ounce of bravery I had and stood up unsteadily. The blood rushed to my head, but I recovered quickly and made my way to the outside of the Aburaya, careful not to wake anyone.

As I left the bath house, a thought occurred to me. The smart thing to do would have been wake Kohaku up and force him to come outside with me, or not even go outside at all. But if it _was_ a person…

I looked up groggily. The sky was a violet-crimson color, the sun was just setting and the bath house would soon awaken.

The piercing squawk rang through the heavy air again, sending chill bumps up and down my arms and causing the tiny hairs on my neck to rise.

_It was much, much closer._

Now that I thought about it, it didn't sound human at all. I felt dread and regret burning in my stomach. But I had gone too far… I turned around and looked at the bath house longingly.

I had already passed about seven of the buildings, and it was steadily darkening. I turned into a back alley of a building to my right. A sudden cold breeze swept through the alley and against my bare feet, giving me the chills.

It was like a sequence out of a B-rated horror film.

The shriek sounded again, and I could have sworn it was _right next to me_, somewhere among the rooftops. There was a growl behind me, and I turned around speedily.

What the _hell_ did I get myself into?

My heart skipped a beat; I could see the outline of some creature in the shadows. Bloody and lean, strong and arrogant, dark and mysterious.

My heartbeat increased and my breathing became erratic as the inhuman squeal was replaced by a deep-throated rumble.

I took a step back, _slowly_. Another. Another. I turned and bolted for the opposite end of the back alley, hearing the monster thudding after me. I emerged on the other side of the restaurant entrances and immediately saw a huge mountain of rocks and dirt lying against a rock wall.

My attention was directed to the Aburaya for only a second, suddenly ablaze with lights. I knew Kohaku would be looking for me, _maybe_ if I could reach the top of the mound…

I sprinted towards the hill, rocks and dusk flying behind me as I climbed for my life, perhaps buying me a few more seconds to reach the top. I was halfway up it when I slipped and slid; at least half of my progress destroyed.

I felt myself becoming sick when a rather large and clammy hand wrapped around my ankle. The thing gave a lustful and perverted howl, and I cursed myself at that moment for picking a dress. Its grip tightened and I was pulled down even farther, knocking my head on a medium sized rock.

I screamed. I screamed as long and loud as I could, and heard it echo through the bitter emptiness.

The only thing I could do other than that was hope that someone would come soon.

_...Infinite blackness..._

_Scene_

**End of Chapter Nine, hope you guys enjoyed it. And I also hope you review! I was so tempted in that scene where Chihiro landed on top of Haku to put: 'I felt his hands twitch and knew that he was trying to keep things from 'coming up'.' But I didn't… For you guys. 'Cuz I love you. ANYWAYS, do you think Chihiro should go home to her mother and friends, or stay with Kohaku? **


	10. Meshed Darkness

**Notes: Sorry for the wait, that's all I'm gonna say. I won't go into gruesome detail, just know that I couldn't use my right hand for about four days. Other than that, I've had damn writer's block...!**

**The Imperfections We Weave**

_Chapter 10-Meshed Darkness_

_The lights had come on._

I mentally kicked myself for sleeping as long and hard as I had. It just so happened that when I turned over, Chihiro was no where to be found. In a semi-sleepy daze, I searched the bare and bland room for her. Maybe she had gotten up to go to the bathroom or...?

My fully awake, sober self tore through that thought quick enough.

_No._

I trusted she would have woken me up to tell me if she were going anywhere. _Something was very, very wrong._

As if on cue, a piercing scream ripped through the air that sent my mind reeling. What's worse, I recognized the voice...

"_Chihiro..!_" It was an outburst that I couldn't possibly stifle. She was in trouble! Maybe even mortally wounded! By that scream, there was no way to tell.

And only one person came to mind: _Karu_.

If there was one person I expected to go back on any and every promise, it was him. What a fool I was to believe he wouldn't make an attempt at Chihiro.

_'Everyone you're near... You hurt everyone you're near...'_

I shook my head rapidly, ridding myself of any untimely thoughts, flying out of the room with my dragon's speed.

There was already a mildly large crowd of curious onlookers forming, sifting through the pitch black night trying to find the one who had screamed.

"Look! Look there!" Screamed one of the workers with better eyes, frantically pointing towards a 'shadow' moving across the building tops with a cat's grace. There were many gasps that echoed as one, and I could hear Yubaba already bitching in her annoyingly scratchy voice the entire way over to the gathering group of workers.

But something caught my eye then, and I was surprised that I hadn't seen it earlier. Over the creature's murky-colored, slim-yet-muscular shoulder was thrown a slight person's figure...with long, dark hair...in a mid-thigh length dress...

I felt my eyes narrow dangerously and my insides churn with increasing ire.

"**Karu! You BASTARD!**" I bellowed at the top of my lungs, the winds picking up and carrying my angry words to him. I could practically hear him laughing at me inside my head.

I turned on heel, a cloud of unsettled dust flying behind me, and headed to Karu's room. I felt many pairs of eyes following me questionably, and caught a glimpse of Yubaba's deliciously startled looking face as I did.

My entire body was tense, and my hair had begun to bristle like a cat's. The room was in front of me, and hadn't realized until then how fast I had gotten there. I reached to slide open the thin paper door, my jittery hands shaking furiously from worry and rage.

My icy fingertips touched the paper ever so slightly and-

_**'What do...want!'**_

_**'...fool...all along...her soul.'**_

_**'...hate you...'**_

_**'Human.'**_

_**'KOHAKU! YOU'LL LOSE YOUR SOUL!'**_

I was curled against the ground, it being my only source of protection. I had forgotten to breath for the generous 15 seconds of pain, and my head screamed its protest against this torture. I unfurled my sweaty, aching body and pushed open the door tiredly.

The room was pitch black, but not just the kind of black you witness every other night. The heavy, sickening, diseased kind of darkness that was terribly suffocating. No matter how long I stood in the same place, my eyes refused to adjust to it.

I tried staggering a few wobbly, unsure steps only to hear a loud _crunch! _resonate throughout the cavernous place. I kneeled slightly, running my hand over the floor to see what it was that I had broken. It couldn't have been that terrible, right?

_Right?_

My fingers encountered something rough, yet smooth. A strangely shaped, large and sort of heavy object.. I picked it up, rolling it around between my hands like a blind person would. I stuck a long, graceful finger in what seemed like a relitively large indention and my thumb felt out a crack just to the left of the hole. Where I had stepped on the thing, I guessed. I removed my finger and trailed it just to the right, where there was an identical hole.

_'..Strange..'_

My ran my entire right hand down the front of the thing. I crept over to a tiny window that gave off an extremely dim light and held the creation in question closer to it.

And immediately threw it across the room.

A dragon's skull. One of my own kind. _Disgusting._

Suddenly I sensed something coming. The darkness that had settled around me somewhat now clogged my lungs, and I began trying futiley to hack it up. Then I felt ice cold arms around me and a strange sensation of falling.

_'Come and play, dearest Kohaku...'_ Karu crowed in a saccharine purr.

And my darkness was meshed with his.

_Scene_

**Well, that one's done. Sorry it's so short, but it's really just to pass the time while I work on Chapter 11. And for anyone who's not getting it, the stuff written in 'these' is either something that Karu has poisoned Haku's mind by repeating to him every day or something that he's whispering to Haku through telepathy to tease him. Just so ya know. Anyways, reviews are much appreciated! **


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